Sophie La Girafe awarded Mother&Baby GOLD award 2011/2012

We are very happy to announce to you that Sophie The Girafa has just won the UK 's Mother and Baby GOLD award for Best Toy dedicated to 6-12 months babies!!!!!!!!!!

Sophie La Girafe

We are so happy!!!!!!!!!!

About the Mother&Baby Awards:

“Over 3000 products were carefully parcelled and then sent nationwide to be sicked on, bashed, chucked and chewed. It really means that shortlisted products impressed the women that matter –mums. Mums, who gave the nation an extra 790,000 babies last year all of whom need to be cleaned, transported, fed, entertained, and put to bed…


Mother & Baby continues to set the standard for parenting press and is undoubtably the most influential and trusted brand, with a heritage that spans over 60 years. These fantastic awards are a vital part of Mother & Baby’s heritage – we’re so pleased to be able to reward excellence within the industry, supporting mums to support you through these accolades. Everyone shortlisted should feel so proud – these mums are a tough crowd. And don’t get me started on the toddlers…”

Boo!

Bonjour!

Tomorrow is October 31st, 2011- A day with a connotation to Death and Spirits... celebrated in various ways in many countries...

Just to give you an idea, here are a few:

Mexico and the Hispanic communities in the US have "El Dia de los Muertos", a ritual to mock death.


France has la Toussaint, All Saints' Day, when people take flowers to the graves of dead relatives. It is also done all over Europe and the US...

But October 31st is also... Hallowe'en !!!!!!

Hallowe'en is thought to have originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, (Samhain signifies "summer's end") when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off roaming ghosts.
Nowadays, Hallowe'en evolved into a secular, community-based event, characterized by child-friendly activities such as trick-or-treating. Many communities around the world started marking the night of the holiday... (After all, it is also a profitable business...)


Hallowe'en does not exist in Israel. Some say that "Purim" is the equivalent... but without the trick-or-treat part.

Purim is a day where children go to school all excited and dressed up. It is one of the most joyous and fun holidays in the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jews living in Persia were saved from extermination. Parades and parties everywhere... candies too, of course...

Purim usually takes place in March... so until it arrives, Sofi Hagirafa is having a virtual Hallowe'en, just for the fun of it because Hallowe'en is fun!,

And for fun facts about this night,do not be frightened... ;) 

 Click here!

Here!

Here!

 Sophie The Giraffe in Israel wishes Happy Halloween

 to those of you who celebrate it !

And see you again at Purim!

Happy New Year 5772! Shana Tova U'Metuka!

Bonjour!

Let's skip the lesson and go straight to the conclusion, shall we?

All we can wish is

for the World to be a sweeter place,

for Peace and Humanity,

for no more Hunger,

for no more Hurt,

for Love, Respect and Care, not only between ourselves but also towards Nature and our little planet Earth.

So Shana Tova everyone...

May our hearts beat the right drum...

A bientot!

The New Year is upon us!

And time flies! We are soon entering the year 5772..... 

Playing with the Hebrew Alef Bet... here are the three letters that form the word "SHANA", Shin, Nun, Hey .... meaning "Year"....



 

Presenting Letter "Shin"...

 

Letter"Nun"

 

and Letter "Hey"...



End of lesson one!

Lesson two will add "good" to "year"  ;)

Come back soon....

 

Sophie The Giraffe: step by step video...

No words necessary.... simply enjoy!

Summer is still here..but now September has arrived!

Bonjour , Bonjour!

For most of us it is back to school, to work, to routines and activities, a bit more stress with new and old challenges...

50 rentrées already for Sofi HaGirafa and not much has changed besides a few "plastic improvements" on her silhouette over the years....
Therefore Sofi HaGirafa wishes everyone a "Bonne rentrée " whichever it may be! Take time to breath and chew the giraffe!

Summer is here!

Sofi HaGirafa wishes you all a wonderful summer 2011..... 



Belated Birthday on the blog but not in Paris!

and too many more !!!!!!!

On the last week of May (on the 25th, more precisely), the Vulli Family celebrated Sophie The Giraffe's 50th birthday in style, and as the Vulli agent for Israel, I was there... and stayed to visit family.... hence this late post!

So let me tell you what happened: It started with a trip on the Bateaux Mouches.... followed by lunch in a typical French Brasserie with a 4-course French-style lunch (or was it 5-course?)....
Right after lunch, as there was no time to waste, we had the first ever international convention of Sophie La Girafe, with about 30 countries represented. It was an amazing experience! Lots of pictures and videos were taken... ( the few pix I took can be seen at the end of this post)



Later in the evening everybody was dressed up, and the weather was lovely... the Sophie art pieces (some can be seen here)  were auctioned for charity. A total of 83,300 euros were raised for the Gustave Roussy Foundation for cancer research in babies and children. It was very heart-warming!

Click Here to see some of the Celebrities posing with their Sophie of Art before the auctions!


The auction was followed by an aperitif-cocktail (finger food), and drinks with music and dancing!


NB: Vulli offered us this unique and exclusive gift of 2 giraffes:

 2 Sophies: can you guess why? Or should I tell you?

Music by

Dutch violinist, conductor, and composer André Rieu...

" Sous le ciel de Paris"

T-10 for the tiniest Giraffe of all

T-10 for the tiniest Giraffe of all...

Her heart could be beating very fast...and as you may remember Giraffes have a very big and strong heart  that beats up to 170 times/minute... amazing, isn't it?





To celebrate the event of Sofi HaGirafa turning the majestuous 50 this year, Vulli has asked designers, artists, VIP and students to give our beloved Sophie La Girafe a make-over ... and here is a glimpse of the results...

Music in the video by Japanese Artist Mariko Nanba....

To see all the amazing Sophies in the catalog,

 click here!

 click here!

 click here!

So now.... yes!  The countdown has begun... Hourray! ^__^

Celebrating Spring and Passover

Holiday time in Israel.... Celebrating Spring and Passover! Wherever you are in the world, Sofi HaGirafa wishes you and your loved ones a Chag Aviv Sameah! Happy Passover!

חג פסח שמח !! חג אביב שמח לכולם !

"I'm French, Chew on Me"

Hello everyone,

Surprised to see me again? A happy surprise I hope?
Yes, I know I wrote a goodbye post, but then I realized this blog is not completely done...it's just an "on-hold" Blog....


In such troubled, tragic, and horrific times our little planet is going through... be it in the region or a bit further away in Japan, I wished everyone a happy Purim, one of the most joyous and fun holidays on the Jewish calendar. It commemorates a time when the Jewish people living in Persia were saved from extermination.

But for those of you looking to help our Japanese friends, do not hesitate to go to
https://www.paypal-donations.com/pp-charity/web.us/campaign.jsp?cid=-12


I also wanted to let you know about a great article on The Slate, written by Josh Levin: " I'm French, Chew on Me; Sophie the Giraffe, the European teething toy that's sweeping America." You gotta love the title... ^__^

Besides the history and presentation of our beloved Sofi, Josh Levin writes that Sophie la Girafe has become the success she is by word of mouth. This has also been confirmed by blogger Jennifer Rabulan-Bertram on " the Next Kid Thing". Sofi HaGirafa has proven time and time again how effective and safe she is, and for helpless parents of a teething baby, this is worth everything!

Hag Purim Sameah! Happy Purim 2011 everyone!

Our Favourite Giraffe Sofi HaGirafa

and her three little cute friends Chan, Pie and Gnon

wish you

a very happy Purim 2011!!

Sophie HaGirafa says her blog-goodbye

A year ago I posted my very first post ever under the obvious title "The Beginning"... and today is the day I am posting my last post...

It is the end for this blog but not the end for the adventures of Sofi HaGirafa in Israel.

I feel that this blog has finished its cycle and has hopefully achieved its purpose, which was to present Sophie The Giraffe to you, to explain why she is simply

the ultimate teething soother,

and why parents and babies all over the world fall  in love with her.

Remember Morgan's letter? (here) or have you read the experience of Los Angeles writer & reporter Deborah Netburn in her article..

"The second I saw her I was smitten. She stood 7 inches high with big, coal-black eyes, a blush of hot pink on each cheek and a little mouth parted to reveal a cheerful smile. I loved the rich caramel color of her spots, the jaunty bend of her front knee, the way her long, thin neck fit so perfectly in Ryu's fat little hand. The texture of her body was soft like suede, and malleable enough for my friend's 6-month-old to elicit a low, seductive squeak with just the slightest bit of pressure. I was desperate to buy her. For my son..." read on

Another must-see (if you haven't yet) is Sofi HaGirafa: the Movie! (music by Musician and Artist Wally Badarou)







I hope you found answers here to all the questions you had about Sophie La Girafe and hopefully much more!



I must confess: I had a really great time writing the blog and playing with the graphics ^__^ . It was an experience that ought not to be missed, so I am a bit sad but c'est la Vie!


Of course you are always welcome to e-mail me at claire@sofi-hagirafa.co.il , catch the Hebrew blog (click click)  on Tapuz or befriend סופי הג'יראפה , read her latest news on Facebook סופי הג'יראפה (click click)





To conclude this entry, I want to wish (albeit a little early) all of you in the world a

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

 Beautiful and Peaceful December

as well as a

 Wonderful New Year 2011!

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Thank you for all your visits and your support!
 À Bientôt!

Giraffa in ads...

I am a fan of advertising. I love the way an idea can be used, deformed, recycled etc, and in the end (usually), so brilliantly used! And an ad can be for so much more than just to make us buy the latest gadget or product... Here are some examples found on the connexx-design site..


Can you guess what this one is about? I could not! I only saw a vertical coffin ...
 

...until I saw the second part of the picture... Now everything is clear!

 

This other one is to celebrate Chimp Week at the Zoo... I wonder how they created this image... A Chimp Week Ad with no Chimp!? ^__^  Just love it!

 In 2007, the World Wildlife Fund, created thought provoking puzzles for the ‘Spot Me’ campaign, designed to show the potential for whole species of giraffes (and pandas) to disappear. I find it really clever...and moving.

Can you spot the Giraffes?

And last but not least, another poster for a Zoo in San Francisco in 2006.

 Oh, and by the way... when was the last time you went to the zoo?

Sophie HaGirafa celebrates Hannukah, the Festival of Lights

December 1st at sundown...

• we are going to light the first candle of 8,
• We are going to eat some "soufganiot",  Berliners, doughnuts specially made for the celebration... I think the very best looking ones are made by the bakery and cafe Roladin. Click here for pictures of those yummy cakes,
• We are going to eat Latkes. It is a potato pancake that is also 'miam miam" as we say in French... Very simple to make, see the recipe by clicking!
• and we are going to exchange gifts and simply be together!

I think this is one of my favourite festivals mostly because of the simplicity of the foods and the candles. Candles always create a magical atmosphere. I am a big fan of candles. Friends who come over can attest to it ^__^

I can imagine you thinking "well well well, what a fattening celebration !! So much oily food!" ... and you would be absolutely right! Oil is the keyword of Hannukah.

Hannukah is the commemoration of a miracle that Jews believe occurred in the Holy Temple in Jerusalem in the 2nd century B.C. When the Jews first returned to the  Temple after defeating Hellenist Syrians who had made it illegal for Jews to worship, they found only enough oil to light the temple's menorah for one day. Miraculously, the flame remained lit for eight days and nights, giving them enough time to find more oil to sustain the fire. Hanukkah is about the survival of the Jewish spirit. As such Hanukkah could be a universal celebration for all of us who are not accepted by others. Never lose your spirit...


Hanukkah חנוכה in modern Hebrew means "Inauguration" and we recreate the miracle of the temple's menorah by lighting candles and eating food cooked in oil!

Happy Festival of Lights everyone!

Where to get Sofi HaGirafa in Israel

EDIT- February 2012--

 Sophie The Giraffe Israel is now available directly from the site 

www.sofi-hagirafa.co.il 

and in selected Baby Boutiques.

Thank you!



Ready for business in this part of the world?

I am not talking Business Etiquette, what to wear, to shake hands or not and what topics to avoid.... no,no!  I will sum it all up in one sentence: why make things easy when you can complicate them? It is to the point that, coming from abroad, at some point, you cannot but wonder if it is done on purpose, for some obscure reason you have yet to discover...


Seriously; when I say nothing is easy, pictures of the way people and buses drive come to my mind, the way we queue at the supermarket or the post-office where having a number still does not guarantee your turn, the way one needs another form, another signature and twenty more phone calls to conclude a process...etc


Some days I can take it really well, almost laughing at the absurdity and "chutzpah" of some, it is almost like watching a show, you are the spectator, even if sometimes you have a part to play and you wonder how it will all end.... Other days I am really not in the mood and prefer to stop in my tracks and go back to packing more Sophies HaGirafot in the quietness of the office...
So whenever I go and visit the stores, I always expect "walls" because hey, it cannot be simple! Of course I did get my share of issues but I really cannot complain: they were all valid, pertinent and they helped me understand more what the business needed.


Those past days I struggled a lot though. A container was waiting at customs and the transport company was not moving fast enough... Finally after a week I recieved the merchandise. It took that long to understand each other, understand the process and what the problems were and with whom to talk to finally get the merchandise. And I was lucky to have help in that process... Again because of what should almost be an adage for the region" nothing can nor should be easy"... it would be too much fun!

Could this part of the world be compared with Golf?

 Arnold Palmer,  one of the greatest golf players once said:

“Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated; it satisfies the soul and frustrates the intellect. It is at the same time rewarding and maddening - and it is without a doubt the greatest game mankind has ever invented.”

original pix

Hamley the Giraffe is gone...

I just recieved this sad news.... Even this tiny blog is not spared...


Hamley, one of the stars of the South African TV drama Wild At Heart has died after being struck by a bolt of lightning during a thunder storm.


In the serie "Wild at heart"  animals and stunning landscape share the screen with the cast. It is a family drama where Stephen Tompkinson plays Danny Travanion, a British vet who emigrated with his family to set up a veterinary hospital and game reserve in the South African bush.

 Hamley with Stephen Tompkinson 
on the set of TV drama Wild At Heart    source

Hamley was only seven-year-old. (Giraffes can live up to 25 years). He had been on the show for five years.


"It was a natural disaster, but nevertheless heartbreaking for everyone who has been involved with him - he was a real character. Our wildlife is very much at the heart of the series - Hamley was a gentle, playful and charming animal. He will be greatly missed by everybody.' said Producer Nick Goding.




Hamley had already filmed scenes, including frightening an environmental agency visitor up a tree, for the next series.


A spokeswoman for the drama said of the scene: 'You can't teach wild animals how to act. But Hamley walked up to the tree afterwards where the actor was and started to lick his face. 'That will stay in (the series). That was just one of his many extraordinary facets, that as a wild animal he had this natural aptitude to do what you wished for.'

"Animals are such agreeable friends

- they ask no questions,

they pass no criticisms."

~ George Elliot



Sophie HaGirafa's Society

You must know it by now... Almost 50 years that Sophie La Girafe is every French Baby's must-have. Every baby has a cot, a stroller, some clothing of course....and the giraffe.


I am however constantly surprised when talking to French parents: most did not know that that Giraffe has a name. Funny, don't you think? It shows us that when a product is tried & approved, with or without a name, it will work. (Let me add that Sophie La Girafe was never part of any French advertising campaign, she succeeded by word of mouth, and that was way before the Internet ^__^)


Until 2007 Sofi was France's Best Kept Secret. I do not think it was "on purpose", the fact is when you are so used to something, in this case to Girafa Sophie, you forget that it does not necessarily exist in other countries, you do not think about it ....until someone at some point gets the "eureka" moment and launches Sophie La Girafe to be a world sensation, soothing every gum and enchanting babies and parents alike across the globe.


In the US, Sophie is big! To the point that in one of the parenting Forums, a mom who loved Sophie so much, created a badge that says : "My child is part of the Sophie Society" and other users agreeing with her, post it in their signature as well...

See how cute it is!!

NB: I am a bit puzzled with the cute owl and sleeping moon Hooters... does anyone know what it refers to? I doubt it is the restaurant!?


 In Israel Sofi HaGirafa has her own Club on the almighty Facebook and her Hebrew Tapuz Blog. It will be neat the day we discover a similar badge in Hebrew on the forums here.



In the meantime, remember: Sophie Ha Girafa is 100% Natural and 100% Love(d), she "is definitely worth it" as some like to say ...

Everyone smiles in the same language.

~Author Unknown

Sofi HaGirafa meets The Golden Giraffa

I am sure you were not expecting this post! ^__^

Golden Girafa?! Sounds very intriguing, doesn't it? Almost -- if not more intriguing than the post on the Elusive Dolphin, am I right? ^__^

Well this time: I found her! Not that I was looking for or even knew about her... and no, I am sorry.... *sigh* it is not an Indiana Jones's adventure...

A couple of days ago I shopped where I rarely do. How exciting I can see you think..... Well the fact is that I wanted some fresh fish, and no, you cannot find this in the supermarket. 

So I went to one of the very few fish stores in my city. This one is located in the corner of some tiny residential streets, among other small shops and coffee place. It reminded me in a minuscule way of the HDB Food and Market Centers in Singapore, where everyone knows everyone else, everybody chit-chats easily,no rush, good food, no cars and no parking needed.

Example of an HDB and Food and Market in Singapore,

a very pleasant outdoor experience!

And since I also needed vegetables, I decided to buy them to the next door shop!

And this is when the incredible happened....

The store was empty, spacious, but not big. The vegetables were on vertical shelves along the walls, something you do not see much in those modern supermarkets, where vegetables are usually placed in large "trays" at a customer's body level, well lit to look more enticing. I gathered what I needed, and when I was about to pay, I noticed a refrigerated shelf with some products that I did not recognize at first glance. I went to have a look and one of the items had a Giraffe!!! A beautiful, golden giraffe!!!!!!!!! Needless to say, I had to buy it! It was cheap, ... and it was a jar of "white Tahina"!

Tahina is most closely associated with the Middle East, where it is eaten as it is, and is often used in making hummus (mashed chickpeas, flavored with lemon juice and garlic), baba ghanoush (a purée of eggplant, lemon juice, garlic, and oil), halvah (a nougat-like dessert), etc. I do not know what the white tahina is specifically for, since it is still a challenge for me to eat tahina of any color, hummus barely, and impossible to eat halvah! 

This is what it looks like for those of you with gastronomic curiosity ^__^

  

Miam Miam?

This particular brand of Tahina is called "the golden giraffa" in both Arabic and Hebrew. The old man in charge of the store assured me that it was the best of its kind. I thanked him, and left very happy with my precious purchase! People must have wondered why I had this big smile on my face leaving with my bag of lemons and tomatoes ...if only they had known... ^__^

Anyway, isn't she beautiful and majestic?

Ssshhhh!

No name please, we do not want to hurt any giraffe's feeling...

I'm looking for the unexpected.

I'm looking for things I've never seen before.

 Robert Mapplethorpe